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SPARKLERS, I HAVE A MID-AFTERNOON PRESENT FOR YOU! It involves lovably chubby sea lions, irresistible Australian accents, the epic Bindi Irwin, and a dude who bears a suspicious resemblance to the studly Harry Styles. What is it? WHY, BEHIND-THE-SCENES FOOTAGE TO RETURN TO NIM'S ISLAND, OF COURSE!

The movie (which you and I will be watching this Friday night on the Hallmark channel at 8/7C—you bring the Cheez-its and I'll bring the Cheez-its, just to make double-sure that we have enough Cheez-its) is about 14-year-old Nim (played by the delightful Bindi) and her quest to protect her beloved island and all the creatures that call it home. In this sequel to Nim's Island, she faces off against dangerous resort developers and animal poachers, but soon realizes she can't depend on her rakishly handsome dad (Matthew Lillard) and her animal cohorts alone, and must make her first human friend: Edmund (played by Toby Wallace). As you can imagine, shenanigans (and maybe even a little beachside romance?) ensue, and there are exotic animals GALORE.

I'm a fan of any project starring Bindi, who's a perfect candidate for our next Honorary Sparkler; she's unbelievably smart, sweet, funny, genuine, and totally passionate about sharing her love (and impressive knowledge) of wildlife with the world. Check out her contagious enthusiasm in the clip below (and don't even bother Google-ing "how can I adopt a pet sea lion" afterward. I already tried. It's IMPOSSIBLE.)

Adorable, right? And there's even more to love about Return to Nim's Island; take a gander at Edmund (played by Toby Wallce), who should probably consider a career as a professional smiler. Don't you just want to muss up his hair and offer to carry his backpack/lizard?

And we can't forget about Matthew Lillard; am I the only one who thinks he looks pretty damn dreamy rockin' that man purse and fish bucket? (Answer: no, I am not, because Dan Bergstein literally just called him a "handsome sandwich with extra mayo." Pump the brakes, Dan. You hardly know the man.)

Now that you've met the amazing cast of Return to Nim's Island, check out the trailer below, and don't forget to tune in to the Hallmark Channel tomorrow at 8/7 C to catch all the fun!

Don't you think Bindi would fit in perfectly on SparkLife? Who's cuter, Toby Wallace or Matthew Lillard? Do you think if we pool all our savings, we could adopt a baby sea lion and name him Colin Creevey?

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About the Author

Since 2010, Chelsea Dagger (known in real life as Chelsea Aaron) has been SparkLife's sweatiest editor. She's currently working on a how-to-kiss guide for teens, and when she's not conducting smooch-related research on her life-size Joseph Gordon-Levitt cardboard cutout, she's eating pancakes, stocking up on industrial-strength deodorant, and destroying everyone at Harry Potter trivia. (EXPECTO PATRONUM!)